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Daylight Saving Time 2012: Time to Set Clocks Back This Weekend

November 3, 2012

(NEW YORK) — You’ll lose an extra hour of light but gain an hour back this weekend as daylight saving time officially ends.

As standard time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday morning. It’s time to “fall back” and set your clocks back one hour when you go to bed on Saturday night.

Hawaii residents and the majority of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time.

The period of daylight saving time is mandated by governments, which began implementing the time switch during World Wars I and II to save energy and resources for the war effort.

Previously, daylight saving time in the U.S. was observed from April until mid-October.

In 2007, Congress adjusted daylight saving time to begin three weeks earlier and end one week later.

At the time, they pointed to the fact that longer daylight in the evening reduced people’s need to turn on lights in their homes at night.

However, critics questioned the government’s decision and wondered whether people would turn on as many lights in the morning hours instead.

In response, the Department of Energy studied the energy savings in 2008 and found that during daylight saving time U.S. electricity use decreased by 0.5 percent per day, which added up to 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours — enough to power about 122,000 average U.S. homes for a year.